Hi All,

Wife and I decided it would be fun to sail around the Med for a few months, may have got some inspiration from these guys:


But we want to learn how to sail here in Perth before we go, and want to learn the right way, so steps taken so far:
1. Researched bunch of courses and booked into this one: www.fsc.com.au
2. Bought a small red witch to practice with in Safety Bay, possibly some overnight rotto trips in summer, yet to take her out though
3. Watched a lot of videos on youtube and onto my 4th book

I have done a few excursions on 12ft catamarans, kitesurfed for 10+yrs and done a fair bit of powerboating. But stepping up to coastal cruising is a whole different game with navigation, efficient sailing techniques, safety procedures, communications, etc

I want to learn how to do these things the right way, preferably not the slower way through trial and error, although I am sure there will be some of that, and hoping someone in here would have some good tips, connections or ideas they could share from their experience and how they learnt.

Thanks,
Jake

Common sense is what's mostly required. The more you have of it at the start, the less you have to be taught. Things which are obvious to one person need to be taught/shown/explained to another. It's not about who's clever or dum.

Sailing a boat isn't just about trimming sails. It's also about knowing the implications of your current actions or your next action. Whether it be sailing motoring into an anchorage, anchoring, getting pissed while anchored, noticing what other boats around you are doing and allowing for their lack of common sense.

Unfortunately common sense can't be taught, but there are plenty of courses out there to help fill in the gaps for things where you may need some help.

The Med. Full of charter boats and some people on them have absolutely no common sense. So you need to be well prepared for your own situations as well as some brought on be others. In the Whitsundays a crowed anchorage may be 40 boat, in the Med 200.

I went and did my RYA day skipper and coastal skipper in bunburry. I can't recommend it enough. The bloke I did it with is very knowledgeable and keen to teach as much as he can. These courses cover navigation. Chart work and GPS. Boat handling/ berthing/ anchoring etc. Once you do day skipper he can provide paper work for an ICC that will allow you to hire boats around the world.

http://www.oceanwest.net.au/dayskipper.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwrIa9BRD5_dvqqazMrFESJACdv27GuuafgIJPXIH3Y9QxQqAWcdkaEbq5PTmjt8t_Dz8pfxoCweDw_wcB

Thanks for the replies, appreciate the thoughts, 100% agree on common sense, and the other boaters at moorings is the part that makes me the most nervous! Plan is to anchor, and anchor at remote places, I don't like other tourists so the part of this that appealed was being able to go to the quiet locations, might be unrealistic but with 1200 islands in Greece alone I'm confident I can find a few deserted ones.

Had power boats for years so not new to boating but furtherest I went was diving at rotto. The cost and cruising limitations to chartering have made the buying option more appealing, cost of 90 days of chartering is almost the same as to buy a decent yacht and I'm not restricted to one country.

Experience and exposure will always teach you more than education so I plan on putting a lot of hours at sea between now and when I leave, also bought an old 20ft yacht with the intention things will break on her so I will learn how to deal with issues in her in the safety of waters I know and close distance to shore. Also practice the Nav, docking, anchoring, etc on a boat that if I break it, I won't break the bank.

Agree competition does refine skill and push the limits quicker than one would normally go, anyone have any ideas on how to break into crewing in blue ocean races around Perth?

If you crew on racing boats just be wary you aren't taught bad seamanship habits. Not giving way when required to, overstressing the boat to get 1/10 of a knot, cutting close to land to gain an extra metre, pushing crew beyond safe limits. I've seen them all and there have been posts on here that have all these factors in accidents and incidents.
Racing can teach you a lot about making a boat go fast and good sailing practices, it can also teach you how to be a very poor seaman.

Have enjoyed extended sailing as 'paying crew' on 3 occasions in the Med.
Each trip was for a total of 3 months which, on an Aussie passport, is all the time allowed in EU.
Had great experiences with excellent skippers and at abt 30 euro a day was a very cost effective fife time way to explore many of the Greek islands.
Will be back again next year.

Hi Mark, Thanks for the info, that sounds amazingly cheap, all the places I have looked at going through are far more expensive, what company is this? Can you share any more info?

Youre right!! I overstayed then